Israel Matzav: Al-AP whines about 'Palestinians' having their laptops searched

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Al-AP whines about 'Palestinians' having their laptops searched

Al-AP must read Mondoweiss. Nothing else could explain the timing of this feature on Israel forcing 'Arab visitors' to open their email on their laptop computers.

The agent, suspecting Tamari was involved in pro-Palestinian activism, wanted to inspect her private email account for incriminating evidence. The 42-year-old American of Palestinian descent refused and was swiftly expelled from the country.

Tamari's experience is not unique. In a cyber-age twist on Israel's vaunted history of airport security, the country has begun to force incoming travelers deemed suspicious to open personal email accounts for inspection, visitors say.

Targeting mainly Muslims or Arabs, the practice appears to be aimed at rooting out visitors who have histories of pro-Palestinian activism, and in recent weeks, has led to the expulsion of at least three American women.

It remains unclear how widespread the practice is.

However, asked about Tamari's claims, the Shin Bet security agency confirmed she had been interrogated and said its agents acted in accordance with the law.

...

The security procedures appear to be getting stricter: Recent searches of journalists at official events have been invasive enough to create a series of mini-uproars and walkouts — a situation that has dovetailed with increasing concerns that the government is trying to stifle dissent.

It's got nothing to do with stifling dissent and everything to do with the country's security. How many other countries in the world need to be seriously concerned that people are arriving from abroad to attempt to undermine the country's existence?

Butto said she has led three tour groups to the region over the past year, and in each case, at least one member of the group was asked to open their email. She said Muslims, Arabs, and Indians were typically targeted, and in most cases, were denied entry.

Butto said agents typically want to see people's itineraries, articles they have written or Facebook status updates.

Indians? There's a non-Jewish Indian (from India - now lives in Europe) who reads this blog, and with whom I met while he was here, and he didn't say anything like this.

But in any event, when you travel to the US, they want all your details before you ever get on the plane, and I am sure that if they had serious concerns about someone that could be resolved by checking their Facebook status, they do it while you're flying across the Atlantic. Israel doesn't have the power to obtain information in advance about people arriving here like the US does, and yet our concerns about terrorism are at least as serious.

The article goes on to mention the story that appeared on Mondoweiss earlier this week, which I blogged here. But it innocuously refers to the organizations with which the women are involved as 'Palestinian activist groups' and makes it sound like their involvement was limited to when they were in college. If you read my post (linked in this paragraph), you will get a more complete picture.

Please note the following:

American Embassy spokesman Kurt Hoyer said the embassy does not comment on specific cases. But he said the embassy is "usually" contacted whenever an American citizen is not allowed to enter Israel, or any other country.

The embassy typically remains in contact with local authorities throughout the process until a decision on entry is made.

He said the U.S. stresses to all governments "to treat American passport holders as Americans, regardless of their ethnic origin ... At the same time, any sovereign nation has the right to decide who to let in, and not to let in."

...

Emanuel Gross, a law professor at Haifa University, said such a practice would seem to be illegal in Israel.

"In Israel, you need a search warrant to go into somebody's computer," he said. "I'm skeptical that the security guards asked a judge first for a warrant and I'm skeptical that a judge would give it."

Hoyer has it right. As to Gross' comments, I'm not sure how someone who is not a citizen of a country would get the rights of a citizen - at least unless and until they are allowed into the country. The US, for example, doesn't exactly give civil rights to the people who are imprisoned at Guantanamo (which is physically in Cuba, but which is US sovereign territory).

Labels: Ben Gurion Airport, International Solidarity Movement, Mondoweiss, Students for Justice in Palestine